This post is for Kim, Morgana, and anyone else in Paul Faul's seminar last year.
Today was an elementary school day. I was scheduled to teach 4 classes, eat lunch and play with the students outside. Recess ends at 1:50, and after that, there is not a whole lot for me to do except take up space in the teachers room (usually blocking someone's desk) so most schools let me go early. The last time I was at this particular school however, the Board of Education sent a fax for me around 2:15, by which point I had already vacated the premises. Sadly, the school got a lecture and told me that I would have to stay until 4pm, even though I would be done teaching after the usual four classes. Usually I carry around a book with me, but this being Monday, I was really slow to get moving and didn't pack one. Crap. Two long hours to sit in the office and stare at the cracks in the wall (there were quite a lot, one part of the wall actually looked like a map). The desk I was sitting at did have a computer, and without asking I decided to take advantage of the internet. Once again, I am so glad the NY Times has a website.
I tried to start with world news, but found it less than captivating, so I moved on to U.S. news, which was a bit more interesting (i.e. the escapades otherwise known as the 2008 presidential election,) then went to the science section. So many interesting articles there, which I feel the need to share with you since I can't talk about them in class like I used to.
If It’s Fresh and Local, Is It Always Greener? Raises so many interesting questions. Just when you thought you had it all figured out and were doing something good, there is something else to consider. Being pretty much illiterate when it comes to reading Japanese food labels, I have no idea where my food is coming from or what it is made out of. Is the tofu in Japan made with soybeans harvested in Brazil on what used to be Amazon rainforest? Probably. At least one thing I don't have to worry too much about is the transportation of my food on my end. It's either by bike or foot, 99.9% of the time.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/business/yourmoney/09feed.html?ex=1354856400&en=a939fa58956e6e41&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Canadian Retailer Bans Some Plastic Bottles Oh Nalgene. I would have been so lost without you at college. You were there to make sure I was hydrated, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now your bulkiness sits in my cupboard. I'll blame the bisphenol-a. Please don't be jealous of the other recycled, plastic water bottles of a smaller sizes I use these days. They fit so much better in my bag with all the other crap I seem to need to tote around with me these days (teaching supplies, wallet, dictionary, hand towel, keys, phone, scarf, gloves, chapstick.....) and it would be a shame to use them just once anyway.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/08/business/worldbusiness/08water.html?ex=1354856400&en=e781c97ce702fce3&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Hydrogen Car Is Here, a Bit Ahead of Its Time Hydrogen cars! It's like the future is now! Mostly I thought about two things while I read this article: 1) There was no mention about the volitile nature of hydrogen (remember the Hindenburg? Although I am sure technology has improved since then) and 2) is how does Toyota feel looking at this car, which looks very similar to its Prius and even has the in-dash gear shift?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/automobiles/autoreviews/09HONDA.html?ex=1354856400&en=cf11cdface8d7793&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Oil-Rich Nations Use More Energy, Cutting Exports I found this article very interesting. I don't understand much about oil; the supply, the demand (in part because the numbers are way too big for me to comprehend) and especially the politics and social components are rather mysterious to me. But this article made sense. What a crazy, out of control world we live in.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/business/worldbusiness/09oil.html?ex=1354942800&en=eac03669b348352f&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Radars Taken Out by Arctic Warming Whoops. This would be amusing if it wasn't so serious.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/cold-war-radar-taken-out-by-arctic-warming/
Western States Agree to Water-Sharing Pact Another scary article. Should the lack of water in my home state factor into my decision about where to live when I return stateside?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/us/10water.html?ex=1355029200&en=2471f2594380d01a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
And finally, this last headline is hardly a surprise, U.S Rejects Stiff 2020 Greenhouse Goals In Bali. I guess it takes more than a few million people without water in the fastest growing states and some lost Arctic radars to convince the government that something needs to be done about global climate change. C'mon people.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007
A Japanese Thanksgiving
[Pack a lunch; this is a long one]
Thursday, November 22, 2007 itself is not much worth writing about. I was at junior high, and class seemed to never end. I came home and ate leftovers. I watched TV. At 8:40 pm, I thought it might be prudent to start cleaning my apartment. I cleaned until 11. I took a shower and went to bed. Ye-haw.
Friday, November 23rd was a holiday, thank goodness. And it was the start of another Jamie-Allison-Wendy adventure. This time we escaped north, leaving Kyushu entirely (gasp!) and went to Hiroshima.
We had a pretty packed itinerary, which involved the usual Jamie-Allison-Wendy activites: primarily some sightseeing, lots of picture taking, and frequent stops for food. We arrived in Hiroshima around lunch time and set off. The weather was really nice, and we actually got, dare I say, hot, walking around in the sun. Why Hiroshima was warmer than Kurume I don't exactly know, but maybe it has to do with their location next to the inland sea.
One thing I never learned in history class was that Hiroshima is built on a river delta, so there are many bridges throughout the city spanning 4 large rivers as they make their way out to sea. The bridges were attractive by themselves, but were made that much more senic by the abundance of fall color along the edges of the water. See below:
First up on the itinerary was the Peace Park and Memorial Museum. In a rather uncharacteristic fashion, we sight-saw (?) right through lunch to make sure we got it all in. The park was really beautiful, and amazingly lush. After the bomb was dropped, it was said that nothing would grow in Hiroshima for 75 years. At the center of the park is the Children's Memorial, where childern from all over the world have placed paper cranes. Some are in long strands of 1000, others are arranged in patterns like this:
For pieces of paper, the cranes have a powerful, emotional message of peace. The whole city of Hiroshima seems to be dedicated to spreading this message.
The iconic A-bome Dome is a short walk across the river from the actual park and is one of those places that you can hardly believe you are looking at in person. It resembles the pictures so exactly and has so much importance connected with it, it still doesn't seem real.
We couldn't put off our visit to the museum forever, so with a few deep breaths we headed in. Our first stop was the underground Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims. Above the hall is this statue of a clock, forever frozen at 8:15 AM, the time the bomb was dropped. Inside was very modern, and after seeing the memorial room itself, you were led into a smaller room with computer screens which contained testimonies from surviors about that fateful morning. It was a lot to take in, and we still hadn't gotten to the main museum.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was packed with tourists and Japanese people alike. I got the audio tour, which I think was essential considering I could hardly get close enough to many of the exhibits to read the text. There were a lot of dioramas, showing the city before and after and lots of artifacts, like concrete walls with glass embedded in them from the explosion. Towards the end was a whole room dedicated to the human costs and health effects associated with radiation. It was a necessary stop on our itinerary, but after just over an hour there, we couldn't take much more.
Heading my mother's favorite piece of advice, "You'll feel better after you eat" we grabbed some soft cream, to re-energize us for the trek to the next spot of interst, Hiroshima Castle.
One the way to the castle, we came across the first of what would be several amazing signs in Hiroshima. I think it looks like the bike is trying to escape from the rider.
Hiroshima Castle is only the second castle I have visited in Japan, but I am already starting to sense a pattern. Japanese castles are tall and well fortified. We ran up the several flights of stairs to the top to catch the view before it got completely dark, then walked down a bit slower to take in the displays of samurai weapons. At the bottom was a dress up corner (Kumamoto Castle did not have this!) where Jamie humored me and dressed up with me.
As we left in search of dinner, we passed by this torii gate in front of a shrine right next to the castle. I thought it framed the last bit of daylight quite nicely.
We bedded down for the night in a hostel, which was much nicer than our apartments. The tatami mats were newer, the bedding was warmer, the heater worked, and the shower rooms were actually designed for showers. Damn, we thought. Until we remembered that the cost of two nights there was equivalent to about half of a month's rent in our subsidized apartments. You get what you pay for I guess.
Day 2 we got up bright and early and set out for Miyajima, a small island easily reached by ferry from Hiroshima. It took almost 40 minutes on impossibly slow street car to get from downtown to the port, and like the Peace Park the day before, it was packed. So many people stealing our great ideas for weekend activites.
Boat!
There are three reasons to visit Miyajima: to see the famous red torii gate in the water, to see
momiji, and to see monkeys. We accomplished the first two with ease, but the monkeys were being difficult.
The red torii of Itsukushima Shrine is one of the "Three Views of Japan" so I am sure you have probably seen a picture before. The picture I took below of the gate at high tide is almost identical to the postcards they sell in town. Yes, I am that good. For more on the "Three Views" check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Views_of_Japan
After our gate viewing, we started up towards the cable car, or "ropeway" that would lead us to monkeys. We passed this sign (amazing sign #2) on the way up.
We didn't run, and instead we took many side paths meandering through lots of lots of red leaves which took the better part of an hour. When we finally reached the ropeway station, we were given a number and told that it would be another hour before our number would be called allowing us to board. So we ate some snacks, and took some pictures.
Me hoping to attract the monkeys below. But is was all in vain. When we reached the top a.k.a monkey territory, there was a hand written sign on a white board that said "Monkeys have gone to the forest to eat." Stupid monkeys.
At least we saw another good sign as we got ready to be crammed 8 people into a small swinging car. Please wait in quiet while suspended indefintely in impossibly small car above deep ravine...uh sure.
The view. Hiroshima in the distance.
After the monkey-less mountain ascent, we rushed back down to the water to catch the gate at low tide. While the ground was still quite soggy and covered in lots of green seaweed, everyone and their mom was squishing through it to go take pictures and stick coins into the waterlogged wood for luck.
The shrine was not the only red thing on Miyajima. There were millions of red leaves, or momiji, as well. So many, in fact that there is a park named for them, Momijidani Park. So of course we had to take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.
Some with just trees in them...
...and some with us in them, enjoying the leaves.
And another postcard worthy one. I bought a postcard that looked identical. Ask my grandma if you don't believe it.
Then we walked around town. Which was slightly less packed in the afternoon than it had been in the morning. Even though it was 3 ish by the time we finally got around to lunch, we still had to wait for a table. This time, the okonomiyaki was worth the wait. I ordered mine with mochi inside, and it was delicious, all warm and gooey.
Then it was more photo ops with other "landmarks" like the golden Hello Kitty outside of the Sanrio store, where Jamie bought almost $100 of her beloved Hello Kitty cell phone charms. I must admit though that the Hiroshima/Miyajima ones were especially cute. Hello Kitty on a paper crane, Hello Kitty with a leaf hat, wielding two okonomiyaki paddles, Hello Kitty under the torii gate....and on and on.
There was also Hello Kitty sitting on a rice paddle, because Miyajima is home to Japan's largest rice paddle or something like that. I am not sure exactly of its claim to fame, but it is a large rice paddle. Pretty impressive, but would have been better with a giant bowl of rice next to it, or at least a few big grains stuck to it.
After the last round of pictures, it was almost dark, and we decided to head back to the city for dinner. One last view from Miyajima:
Back in Hiroshima, we tried to walk off our late lunch and scout out a place for dinner. We went to take purikura (which is so amazing that is deserves its own post, look for one later) in a store?/building dedicated to photobooths decorated in bright colors playing obnoxious music. If I recall correctly, there were four floors to choose from. It was glorious. We are becoming purikura masters.
Day 3 was just a half day, so we could get home in time to digest and prepare for the JET Mid-Year seminar on Monday and Tuesday. So after some breakfast, we stashed our bags in a locker at the station and walked to Shukkeien Park for a last look at the leaves. The park was beautiful, done in the tradional Japanese style. We even saw girls in kimonos!
Glorious reds and oranges
Can you spot the tourist amidst the leaves?
And sun shining on more leaves
Thursday, November 22, 2007 itself is not much worth writing about. I was at junior high, and class seemed to never end. I came home and ate leftovers. I watched TV. At 8:40 pm, I thought it might be prudent to start cleaning my apartment. I cleaned until 11. I took a shower and went to bed. Ye-haw.
Friday, November 23rd was a holiday, thank goodness. And it was the start of another Jamie-Allison-Wendy adventure. This time we escaped north, leaving Kyushu entirely (gasp!) and went to Hiroshima.
We had a pretty packed itinerary, which involved the usual Jamie-Allison-Wendy activites: primarily some sightseeing, lots of picture taking, and frequent stops for food. We arrived in Hiroshima around lunch time and set off. The weather was really nice, and we actually got, dare I say, hot, walking around in the sun. Why Hiroshima was warmer than Kurume I don't exactly know, but maybe it has to do with their location next to the inland sea.
One thing I never learned in history class was that Hiroshima is built on a river delta, so there are many bridges throughout the city spanning 4 large rivers as they make their way out to sea. The bridges were attractive by themselves, but were made that much more senic by the abundance of fall color along the edges of the water. See below:
First up on the itinerary was the Peace Park and Memorial Museum. In a rather uncharacteristic fashion, we sight-saw (?) right through lunch to make sure we got it all in. The park was really beautiful, and amazingly lush. After the bomb was dropped, it was said that nothing would grow in Hiroshima for 75 years. At the center of the park is the Children's Memorial, where childern from all over the world have placed paper cranes. Some are in long strands of 1000, others are arranged in patterns like this:
For pieces of paper, the cranes have a powerful, emotional message of peace. The whole city of Hiroshima seems to be dedicated to spreading this message.
The iconic A-bome Dome is a short walk across the river from the actual park and is one of those places that you can hardly believe you are looking at in person. It resembles the pictures so exactly and has so much importance connected with it, it still doesn't seem real.
We couldn't put off our visit to the museum forever, so with a few deep breaths we headed in. Our first stop was the underground Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims. Above the hall is this statue of a clock, forever frozen at 8:15 AM, the time the bomb was dropped. Inside was very modern, and after seeing the memorial room itself, you were led into a smaller room with computer screens which contained testimonies from surviors about that fateful morning. It was a lot to take in, and we still hadn't gotten to the main museum.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was packed with tourists and Japanese people alike. I got the audio tour, which I think was essential considering I could hardly get close enough to many of the exhibits to read the text. There were a lot of dioramas, showing the city before and after and lots of artifacts, like concrete walls with glass embedded in them from the explosion. Towards the end was a whole room dedicated to the human costs and health effects associated with radiation. It was a necessary stop on our itinerary, but after just over an hour there, we couldn't take much more.
Heading my mother's favorite piece of advice, "You'll feel better after you eat" we grabbed some soft cream, to re-energize us for the trek to the next spot of interst, Hiroshima Castle.
One the way to the castle, we came across the first of what would be several amazing signs in Hiroshima. I think it looks like the bike is trying to escape from the rider.
Hiroshima Castle is only the second castle I have visited in Japan, but I am already starting to sense a pattern. Japanese castles are tall and well fortified. We ran up the several flights of stairs to the top to catch the view before it got completely dark, then walked down a bit slower to take in the displays of samurai weapons. At the bottom was a dress up corner (Kumamoto Castle did not have this!) where Jamie humored me and dressed up with me.
As we left in search of dinner, we passed by this torii gate in front of a shrine right next to the castle. I thought it framed the last bit of daylight quite nicely.
For dinner, we sought out some Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki in the basement of a department store. It was alright. Dessert was much better, crepes served out of the back of an old bus. We had to wait in line before they even took our orders, and then wait again while the two people working inside made them. It was worth the wait though. Soft doughy crepe filled with all sorts of creamy goodness. I ordered Tiramisu flavor. As I recal, Allisons had something to do with blueberries, but it looks more like ecstacy to me.
We bedded down for the night in a hostel, which was much nicer than our apartments. The tatami mats were newer, the bedding was warmer, the heater worked, and the shower rooms were actually designed for showers. Damn, we thought. Until we remembered that the cost of two nights there was equivalent to about half of a month's rent in our subsidized apartments. You get what you pay for I guess.
Day 2 we got up bright and early and set out for Miyajima, a small island easily reached by ferry from Hiroshima. It took almost 40 minutes on impossibly slow street car to get from downtown to the port, and like the Peace Park the day before, it was packed. So many people stealing our great ideas for weekend activites.
Boat!
There are three reasons to visit Miyajima: to see the famous red torii gate in the water, to see
momiji, and to see monkeys. We accomplished the first two with ease, but the monkeys were being difficult.
The red torii of Itsukushima Shrine is one of the "Three Views of Japan" so I am sure you have probably seen a picture before. The picture I took below of the gate at high tide is almost identical to the postcards they sell in town. Yes, I am that good. For more on the "Three Views" check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Views_of_Japan
After our gate viewing, we started up towards the cable car, or "ropeway" that would lead us to monkeys. We passed this sign (amazing sign #2) on the way up.
We didn't run, and instead we took many side paths meandering through lots of lots of red leaves which took the better part of an hour. When we finally reached the ropeway station, we were given a number and told that it would be another hour before our number would be called allowing us to board. So we ate some snacks, and took some pictures.
Me hoping to attract the monkeys below. But is was all in vain. When we reached the top a.k.a monkey territory, there was a hand written sign on a white board that said "Monkeys have gone to the forest to eat." Stupid monkeys.
At least we saw another good sign as we got ready to be crammed 8 people into a small swinging car. Please wait in quiet while suspended indefintely in impossibly small car above deep ravine...uh sure.
The view. Hiroshima in the distance.
After the monkey-less mountain ascent, we rushed back down to the water to catch the gate at low tide. While the ground was still quite soggy and covered in lots of green seaweed, everyone and their mom was squishing through it to go take pictures and stick coins into the waterlogged wood for luck.
The shrine was not the only red thing on Miyajima. There were millions of red leaves, or momiji, as well. So many, in fact that there is a park named for them, Momijidani Park. So of course we had to take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.
Some with just trees in them...
...and some with us in them, enjoying the leaves.
And another postcard worthy one. I bought a postcard that looked identical. Ask my grandma if you don't believe it.
Then we walked around town. Which was slightly less packed in the afternoon than it had been in the morning. Even though it was 3 ish by the time we finally got around to lunch, we still had to wait for a table. This time, the okonomiyaki was worth the wait. I ordered mine with mochi inside, and it was delicious, all warm and gooey.
Then it was more photo ops with other "landmarks" like the golden Hello Kitty outside of the Sanrio store, where Jamie bought almost $100 of her beloved Hello Kitty cell phone charms. I must admit though that the Hiroshima/Miyajima ones were especially cute. Hello Kitty on a paper crane, Hello Kitty with a leaf hat, wielding two okonomiyaki paddles, Hello Kitty under the torii gate....and on and on.
There was also Hello Kitty sitting on a rice paddle, because Miyajima is home to Japan's largest rice paddle or something like that. I am not sure exactly of its claim to fame, but it is a large rice paddle. Pretty impressive, but would have been better with a giant bowl of rice next to it, or at least a few big grains stuck to it.
After the last round of pictures, it was almost dark, and we decided to head back to the city for dinner. One last view from Miyajima:
Back in Hiroshima, we tried to walk off our late lunch and scout out a place for dinner. We went to take purikura (which is so amazing that is deserves its own post, look for one later) in a store?/building dedicated to photobooths decorated in bright colors playing obnoxious music. If I recall correctly, there were four floors to choose from. It was glorious. We are becoming purikura masters.
Day 3 was just a half day, so we could get home in time to digest and prepare for the JET Mid-Year seminar on Monday and Tuesday. So after some breakfast, we stashed our bags in a locker at the station and walked to Shukkeien Park for a last look at the leaves. The park was beautiful, done in the tradional Japanese style. We even saw girls in kimonos!
Glorious reds and oranges
Can you spot the tourist amidst the leaves?
And sun shining on more leaves
It may not have been Thanksgiving in the turkey and mashed potato sense, but it was a great weekend, and it helped me realize how much I have to be thankful for, which is quite a lot.
Falling for fall...
You can take the desert girl out of the desert, but you can't take the desert out of the girl. Or something like that.
This is the first year since 1992 that I have lived somewhere with four distinct seasons. Central Arizona has two seasons, hot and not so hot. Southern CA isn't much different, although I do remember there being ice on the ground when I returned to Claremont last January, which should definitely qualify that time of year as winter in my book. In Japan, I am experiencing (almost for the first time really) these fabled four seasons. When I arrived in August, it was definitely summer, miserably hot and sweaty, and green. While this lingered on until the end of Septemeber/early October, the past few weeks have witnessed a rather dramatic change. Leaves are no longer bright green. The weather is not hot and sweaty, even in the sun. I can see my breath when I bike to school in the morning. By 6 pm, its almost completely dark out.
Setting out. It was a chilly grey day when we started. Note that not just the crazy desert girl is bundled up.
An innocent kaki blissfully ignorant of its doomed fate.
The lovely Miss Shepherd demonstrating how to pick a good one.
This is the first year since 1992 that I have lived somewhere with four distinct seasons. Central Arizona has two seasons, hot and not so hot. Southern CA isn't much different, although I do remember there being ice on the ground when I returned to Claremont last January, which should definitely qualify that time of year as winter in my book. In Japan, I am experiencing (almost for the first time really) these fabled four seasons. When I arrived in August, it was definitely summer, miserably hot and sweaty, and green. While this lingered on until the end of Septemeber/early October, the past few weeks have witnessed a rather dramatic change. Leaves are no longer bright green. The weather is not hot and sweaty, even in the sun. I can see my breath when I bike to school in the morning. By 6 pm, its almost completely dark out.
At first, this was a welcome change. It was nice being able to open the windows in my apartment. But this lovely temperate weather was short lived. It seemed like the day after I shut the windows, I had to drag out the space heater. All of a sudden, the all-cotton clothing layers I relied on to keep me warm back home in the states became rather insufficient. This wasn't fall---it was winter!! I was outraged, and moreover pretty dang cold. Until people in other places reminded me that 65 F really isn't that cold. So decked out in some new wool sweaters, I've tried to embrace the season.
One way to enjoy "fall" is to do "fall" things, like picking kaki with your calligraphy class. Just look at all the fun we had.
Setting out. It was a chilly grey day when we started. Note that not just the crazy desert girl is bundled up.An innocent kaki blissfully ignorant of its doomed fate.
The lovely Miss Shepherd demonstrating how to pick a good one.
Photo shoot time. We spent about 10 minutes acutally picking fruit and another 20 running around taking lots of pictures. Like the oh so tasteful one above.
The location of this kaki picking fest. Lovely.
After kakis we headed to winery where amidst the fall leaves we saw several tourbuses full of Japanese wine enthusiasts finding another way to take the chill out of the air. And we played in the leaves.
We took a break for lunch at a restaurant that looked like a log cabin and had a fantastic heating system. It also had a glorious view of the surrounding country side. After finishing our 5 course lunch (Naoko-sensei takes such good care of us, its rediculous) the clouds had moved on, leaving a sunny fall afternoon behind.
Perfect weather for visiting a pottery factory (not quite the right word, workshop maybe?) With Naoko-sensei and her infinite number of connections, we not only got to see the beautiful pieces for sale, but got a behind the scenes tour and saw the gigantic kiln the ceramicist built himself in his barn, complete with brief tutorial. It took me back to those camp counselor days when I had to trudge up the hill in the middle of the night to check on the kiln, gah! No, really it made me want to try my hand at pottery again.
Beautiful blue cups.
A whimsical little bird.
The kiln to end all kilns. It was huge! The potter said it took two days to do a complete firing, and I think he said that it takes all of the wood you see piled up around it to get it started. And I was complaining about the not-so-automatic ones at Girl Scout Camp. This man obviously loves what he does.
After the pottery, our lunch had settled enough for our last stop of the day...an onsen. This one was outdoors and if you were brave enough to raise your nekkid self out of the hot water a few inches you were rewarded with an incredible view. However, it was quite cold.
That, in a nutshell is how I began to fall in love with fall. How could I not?
[Author's note: Sadly, this feeling was short lived, when I woke up later in the week and could see my breath in my bedroom. A highly scientific experiment invoving all of my alarm clocks, which happen to have thermometers included in their displays and a few quick conversions from C to F concluded that I was indeed sleeping in the coldest room in my apartment, which made sense in August. Not so much now or for the next 4 months or so. So I dismantled my bed, moved it to the warmest room and moved some of the clothes into the other closet. The temperature in this room hovers around 60 F when I wake up, which is surprisingly a whole lot better than the 55 F the other room likes to stay at.]
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